Brovik

Brovik is a 42 year old bard living the city of Serrador. He used to accept payment and work as a hunter for the Golden Hand. Brovik is orginally from Myrcia but moved to Scara after the loss of his family.

Brovik was a middle child in a large family. His father was a smith and his mother did laundry out of the home. He was a recalcitrant child who often found himself in trouble, especially for disrespecting the local priest and flamekeepers.

Brovik's journey as a bard was a family affair. He wanted to follow on the footsteps of his uncle. In an attempt to pacify his behavior, his uncle gifted him a 14 string lyre and got him started on the basics. The issue came to a head at age 12 when the decision had to be made whether to send Brovik to an academy. Brovik and his uncle were vehemently against the idea and wanted Brovik to be apprenticed to a bard. His parents preferred the safety and stability of the academy. Brovik appeared to submit to their wishes, but he instead worked with his uncle to arrange for pickup at the academy in Myrrador. Brovik and his uncle managed to keep the ruse going for over a year before being caught in a lie. His parents became distant but allowed him to continue his training. His mother was less distant but deeply distraught at his choice of profession.

Brovik completed his training at 21 and began making money as a performer while traveling around Myrcia. During this time, he began to dabble in bounty hunting. At first, he took bounties for animals and petty criminals. Eventually, a Golden Hand agent put two and two together and approached him with an offer to capture an evasive heretic who had hidden his crime well. Brovik took the job, the pay an order of magnitude above the usual. It proved to be dangerous and he was severely injured before taking the target into custody. The Golden Hand ensured he received excellent care and offered him a long term arrangement, effectively putting him on call for them. He agreed.

Around 25, Brovik met his wife, Maelen. Still taking jobs for the Golden Hand and maintaining a facade as a performer, Brovik settled into a rhythm. They welcomed a son, Kaldor, into the world. Then another, Droven. Things were fine for 12 years, until the Golden Hand banged on his door. They told him that his wife and children had engaged in heresy and that he was being spared because of his exceptional service. Disbelieving, he watched as they searched the house. His blood ran cold when they found a range of idols under a stack of linen. His wife was burnt at the stake and his children were sent to an academy for the reformation of children. He lost all contact with them.

Unable to stay in this place any longer, at 38, he packed up his bags and left for Scara. He's worked there in taverns and other venues as well as occasionally taking a bounty on a wild animal, never a person, never again.

He is convinced his wife and children was framed by rival bards who despised him for working with the Golden Hand. He wonders how many people he sent to their death who were innocent. Now that he's tasted the Golden Hand's callousness for himself, he wants nothing to do with the organization and has turned down any work offered.